Want to achieve big goals this year? Try putting them in print.
There’s no such thing as a slam dunk commitment. But when intentions are declared out loud, they tend to be just a little more sticky. They carry a little more weight.
They raise the stakes.
There are plenty of examples of this in public life. It’s the reason why weddings — despite concerning rates of divorce — still garner plenty of attention and fanfare. Though marriage has become passe in some circles, there’s still something about vows made in front of witnesses that means a lot.
It’s why we pay attention to what our politicians say in public (and by extension, it’s why a free and robust press is foundational to a healthy democracy). It’s why signed contracts in the world still warrant headlines. It’s why when CEOs at major corporations make announcements, the markets respond accordingly.
Facing the Fears
We’re often reluctant to declare goals out loud because of the social risk. It’s so easy to imagine the pushback months down the road.
- “Didn’t you say you were going to lose 20 pounds this year?”
- “I thought you were going to apply to law school. What happened to that?”
- “So what ever happened to the book that you were planning to write?”
We can hear the snickers and see the sneers.
Channel the Energy
What would happen, though, if instead of backing down in the face of those fears, we embraced the pressure they signal. I mean, what if we really leaned into the power of audience.
This is something I’ve thought a lot about lately. Just a couple of months ago, I decided to finally — finally — FINALLY start writing on a weekly basis.
And in my writing, I’ve tried to be real. Real about where I’ve been. Real about where I want to go from here. In posts like My 27 Goals for 2019, I’ve really put it out there.
Some Public Goals and Decisions
In fact, since my first article on Medium in October of 2017, I’ve shared the following goals and decisions:
- I’m working on a Master’s degree.
- I keep my phone out of the bedroom at night.
- My wife and I will not borrow money to buy a vehicle.
- I’m going to start a podcast (this became reality in March of 2018).
- I don’t eat potato chips, French fries, or non-alcoholic sugary drinks.
- I’m going to try to finish the Vancouver Sun Run (10 km/6.2 miles) in <50 minutes.
- My family eats dinner at the dining room table sans screens — not in front of the TV and not with phones present.
Find the Tipping Point
Of course, I’ve set a ton of other goals and made a ton of other decisions in terms of how I live my life, but I share these examples in particular because they each represent terrific battles. They’re not always things I want to do in the moment.
Mind over matter, spirit over flesh — each of these goals and decisions invites powerful opposition from a dark part of me that wants to settle, wants comfort, wants less struggle and more status quo.
And sometimes, that dark part of me speaks very loudly. When I’m BLASTed (Bored, Lonely, Angry, Stressed, or Tired), it’s hard to find the resolve to resist McDonald’s fries and run 3 miles instead.
But do you know what helps me win in every case? Public accountability.
I’ve literally told so many family members, friends, colleagues, and readers that I’m going to do X and not do Y that I paint myself into a corner.
I leave myself with no choice. Either I press onward, or my credibility takes a beating.
So call it pride. Call it dignity. But I want my word to mean something. I want to be a man that follows through. I want to be intentional and committed and reliable. And as a result, I press on.
Life’s Wins Never Come Easily
As Dave Ramsey likes to say, “You can wander into debt, but you can’t wander out of it.” As it is with financial freedom, so it is with most of life’s wins.
But if you’re looking to make permanent changes, chart better courses, and realize bigger dreams, may I recommend embracing the power of accountability.
Take a look at the goals you wrote on that piece of scrap paper, and tell someone. Share your decision. Write about your plans.
Raise the stakes. You’ll be glad you did.
Because there’s excpetional power in public accountability.
Tim Cavey 